What Do A Lion And A Wolf Share?

The Morning After

Early morning light poured through the manor's windows when Hermione stumbled downstairs, looking for Theo, answers, and a large glass of ice water. While aguamenti produced drinkable water, she knew from limited experience that it wasn't cold enough to help with a hangover. Hermione's jaw dropped when she poked her head into the study and found her friends strewn about the floor and couches. Hopping from one sleeping form to the next, her eyes landed on the back of two heads, a familiar brown mess and unmistakable platinum, asleep by the fire. As she sneaked closer, she realized that Malfoy and Theo weren't asleep, but sitting in silence, watching the fire from the armchairs.

"What happened? Why is everyone down here?" she asked, her voice strained. The pair of wizards turned to look at her, clearly startled by her voice. Staring at her were two black eyes between them, a busted lip, and one recently broken and poorly repaired nose. "Oh Merlin, your faces! What happened?" she whispered, wondering if she was too late to fix her brother's botched job. "Theo, let me help you with your nose."

"I'm so glad you're feeling like yourself again," Theo exclaimed, jumping up to envelope her into a hug. She hugged him back, plastering a smile on her face. Hermione had yet to talk to him about their father and the warm physical contact made her uneasy. As much as she wanted to, she still wasn't sure if she could trust him. Hermione had planned to tackle that issue today, but until she pieced together the night prior, it would have to wait.

"Of course I'm fine. I just can't remember how I got home last night," she said into Theo's shoulder, slightly muffled. "I can't really remember much of anything, actually."

"You can't remember anything?" Malfoy asked, his voice soft and timid. Hermione broke away from Theo's embrace to look at him, concerned at the shift away from his usual confidence. The tall wizard looked small in the chair, like he was trying to make himself invisible. He was staring intensely at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Think back to last night," Theo prompted. "What is the last thing you can remember?"

"The last thing I remember I was on the balcony with Marcus Flint..." Hermione took a minute to think, remembering the dark balcony and the man who had cornered her. She shuddered, feeling the ghost of his hand on her lower back. "He tried to kiss me, and I pushed him. And then Dra - Malfoy was there, pulling him away. That's definitely the last thing I remember; Malfoy looking at me on the balcony." The concern in his eyes as she lost her balance played in her mind before her memory faded to black as he caught her. She realized she'd never seen him look at her like that, like he was worried about her. It strangely reminded her of how Harry would look at her when she stayed up late revising in their third year, overburdened with an impossible class schedule.

She heard a sharp exhale and she glanced back at Malfoy. He looked like a caged animal, restless and anxious, sparking another memory. "I had some strange dreams too." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. She felt herself flush and she looked down at her feet. "So what happened?" she asked again quickly, focused on Theo and eager to forget her confusing dreams.

"Well, Draco helped you home," Theo offered, gesturing to his friend. Hermione swallowed, her mouth still uncomfortably dry, but turned towards him expectantly.

"It was as you said. I was walking by to get myself a drink and saw you smack Marcus Flint. When he didn't let you go, I asked him to leave. Then you were stumbling around like a drunk -"

"That explains my head," Hermione interrupted. "But I don't remember drinking anything."

"Why don't I get you a pain potion for your head?" Theo stood abruptly, concern etched into his face. "Take my seat, I'll be back in a jiff," Theo walked out, leaving her alone with Draco Malfoy and four of her passed out friends.